Critical Stylistics: The Power of English (Perspectives on the English Language)

213 Pages·2009·2.489 MB·

by  Lesley Jeffries

‘This is perfectly pitched to meet the needs of students in courses such
as English functional grammar, discourse analysis, stylistics, advanced
composition and critical discourse analysis. Jeffries’s book is a long-needed
synthesis of linguistic stylistics and critical discourse analysis; it provides
excellent background reading for advanced research on such issues as negation,
speech and thought presentation, systemic grammar and presupposition’.
– Donald E. Hardy, University of Nevada
We tend to think that politicians, copywriters and journalists can affect us by
their use of language, but how does this happen, exactly? Critical Discourse
Analysis provides us with general theories for explaining the impact texts can
have, considering the social and political contexts in which texts are produced
and read. Stylistics provides detailed tools of analysis for understanding how
texts work. Critical Stylistics combines the strengths of these two approaches
to uncover the deep-seated ideologies of everyday texts.
Original and engaging, Critical Stylistics
• presents a new amalgamation of stylistics, critical discourse analysis and
functional approaches to grammar;
• introduces a comprehensive set of tools to help explain and analyse the
power of written texts;
• examines a wide variety of real texts and provides a wealth of practical
worked examples.
Perspectives on the English Language is an innovative series of
textbooks for the English language student, together forming a wide-ranging
course for undergraduate students of English. The basis of the series is a ‘core’
of three books which together lay the foundations for further study. A set of
higher level textbooks builds on these core books by bringing together the
latest thinking in a range of topics in English language. Clearly set out and
including relevant exercises and questions, they make both the foundations
of language and the latest research accessible to a student audience.
Series Editors: Lesley Jeffries and Dan McIntyre
LESLEY JEFFRIES is Professor of English Language at the University of
Huddersfi eld. She was Chair of the Poetics and Linguistics Association from
2007 to 2009 and has written a number of articles and four other books,
including Discovering Language: The Structure of Modern English and Textual
Construction of the Female Body.
99778800333333__996644449911__0011__pprreexx..iinndddd ii 1100//99//22000099 1100::3344::0066 PPMM
PERSPECTIVES ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Series Editor: Lesley Jeffries and Dan McIntyre
Published titles
Siobhan Chapman Thinking About Language: Theories of English
Urszula Clark Studying Language: English in Action
Christiana Gregoriou English Literary Stylistics
Simon Horobin History of the English Language
Discovering Language The Structure of Modern English
Lesley Jeffries Critical Stylistics: The Power of English
Forthcoming
Jonathan Culpeper The Pragmatics of the English Language
Rob Penhallurick Studying Dialect
Perspectives on the English Language Series
Series Standing Order
ISBN 0-333-96146-3 hardback
ISBN 0-333-96147-1 paperback
(outside North America only)
You can receive future titles in this series as they are published by placing a stand-
ing order. Please contact your bookseller or, in the case of difficulty, write to us at
the address below with your name and address, the title of the series and one of
the ISBNs quoted above.
Customer Services Department, Macmillan Distribution Ltd,
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS, England
99778800333333__996644449911__0011__pprreexx..iinndddd iiii 1100//99//22000099 1100::3344::0077 PPMM
Critical Stylistics

The Power of English
Lesley Jeffries
© Lesley Jeffries 2010
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this
publication may be made without written permission.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted
save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence
permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency,
Saffron House, 6-10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.
Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published 2010 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN
Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited,
registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke,
Hampshire RG21 6XS.
Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies
and has companies and representatives throughout the world.
Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States,
the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries.
ISBN: 978–0–333–96448–4 hardback
ISBN: 978–0–333–96449–1 paperback
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully
managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing
processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the
country of origin.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10
Printed and bound in China
99778800333333__996644449911__0011__pprreexx..iinndddd iivv 1100//99//22000099 1100::3344::0077 PPMM
This one's For Sam
99778800333333__996644449911__0011__pprreexx..iinndddd vv 1100//99//22000099 1100::3344::0077 PPMM
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
Series editors’ preface viii
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction 1
1 The Background to Critical Stylistics 4
2 Naming and Describing 17
3 Representing Actions/Events/States 37
4 Equating and Contrasting 51
5 Exemplifying and Enumerating 66
6 Prioritizing 77
7 Implying and Assuming 93
8 Negating 106
9 Hypothesizing 114
10 Presenting Others’ Speech and Thoughts 130
11 Representing Time, Space and Society 146
Appendix – Commentaries on Exercises 159
Notes 186
Bibliography 189
Index 195
99778800333333__996644449911__0011__pprreexx..iinndddd vviiii 1100//99//22000099 1100::3344::0088 PPMM
Series editors’ preface
The first three books to be published in the Perspectives on the English
Language series (Jeffries, Discovering Language, Chapman, Thinking About
Language and Clark, Studying Language) together formed the first wave of
what will ultimately be a comprehensive collection of research-based text-
books covering the wide variety of topics in English Language studies. These
initial three books provide the basics of English Language description, theory
and methodology that students need, whether they are specialists in English
Language or taking only one or two modules in the subject. The idea was
that these books would be used differently by such different students, and
indeed they have already proved useful to postgraduate students as well as
undergraduates.
Now we are beginning the process of adding to the series the envisaged
set of higher-level textbooks which will build on the core books by bringing
together the latest thinking in a range of topics in English Language. This
‘second wave’ comprises books written by current researchers in the field,
and far from simply providing an overview or summary of work so far, these
books are distinctive in making the latest research available to a student audi-
ence. They are not ‘dumbed down’, but are written accessibly, with exercises
and questions for the reader to consider where relevant. And for the HE
teacher, these books provide a resource that s/he can use to bring out the best
in students of all abilities.
The book you are holding will ultimately be part of a large series of topic-
based books in English Language, and we are confident that you will find
them useful and interesting. Although this series was begun with only one
series editor, the rate of production of the second wave calls for more help
in editing and proofreading. We look forward to surfing this second wave
together!
Lesley Jeffries and Dan McIntyre
June 2008
99778800333333__996644449911__0011__pprreexx..iinndddd vviiiiii 1100//99//22000099 1100::3344::0088 PPMM
Acknowledgements
My friends and family, of course, need to be thanked for their patience in the
face of yet another long haul to finish this book; Dave for his c ompetitive
‘Well I have a book chapter to write too!’ which helped me to see it in
perspective, and friends who are waiting for me to rejoin the world of reading
books, so I become more interesting to talk to – they hope. I would also like
to thank Palgrave Macmillan and the excellent in-house editorial team who
have been waiting some time for this manuscript, not for the first time, and
have been extremely supportive throughout. My colleagues and students at
the University of Huddersfield as usual have had to put up with me during
the writing phase, and have helped in many ways to improve this book.
The Language and Power group of 2008–9 were particular guinea pigs for
some of the material and their comments and responses were very useful in
revising the text. Most of all, I owe a great debt of gratitude to Dan McIntyre,
colleague and friend, who as co-editor of this series had to take on the editing
of this book and did so thoroughly and with good humour. He has certainly
saved me from worse embarrassment, but any errors or infelicities of style
remain my own.
99778800333333__996644449911__0011__pprreexx..iinndddd iixx 1100//99//22000099 1100::3344::0088 PPMM